Using a parallel ‘rear’ buss allows more elements in the mix to be heard, without having to turn up individual tracks and without reducing dynamics so much that the sound is too compressed; instead, you can use this technique to add energy to a mix in a smooth and natural-sounding way.

To set up a parallel rear buss, Andrew Scheps sends every channel in his mix (except the drums) to a separate stereo mix buss, post-fader and following the main pan, so that his existing mix is preserved side by side with this second mix buss (nicknamed the ‘rear’ buss).

Next, he adds compression to the rear buss and blends it with the main mix to taste. The parallel-compressed rear buss can also be automated to make important sections of a song stand out with more impact and ‘pop’ in a subtle, effective way.